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New students prepare for fall semester

Posted on Friday, June 24, 2022

Orientation tour group in front of Quillian Building

This summer, the campus has been buzzing with activity as incoming Panthers and their families participate in get-to-know-you games and tour college buildings during their orientation sessions.

The Office of Housing and Student Life holds separate orientation programs for transfer and first-year students. Transfers spend a day registering for classes, mapping their degree and meeting their new classmates; however, incoming freshmen attend an overnight new student orientation.

“New Student Orientation is the first opportunity to connect with incoming students, LaGrange College faculty and staff, and to learn about student life at LC,” said Dr. Kerry Wallaert, Director of Housing and Student Life.

During the session, freshmen take placement tests, register for classes and get acquainted with their new classmates.

“I want our incoming students to understand they are welcome and belong at LaGrange College,” Wallaert said.

She said each incoming student has the opportunity to create a new story.

“We do this through small orientation sessions, small-group meetings with orientation leaders, individual connections with faculty and staff and through a variety of sessions that meet the transition needs of incoming students,” Wallaert said.

New students get a firsthand account of campus life from their orientation leaders.

Lindsey Swearngin ’23 and Andrew Cunningham ’23, two of the leaders in this year’s group, experienced a nontraditional new-student orientation due to the pandemic.

“My first-year orientation occurred over Zoom during the height of the pandemic,” Swearngin said. “It was a nice opportunity to meet some soon-to-be classmates and familiar faces, but unfortunately it all happened through a screen.”

“Unfortunately, my orientation was entirely over Zoom,” Cunningham said. “It was just a two-hour meeting without any of the fun we are bringing to orientation now.”

Swearngin said she wanted to become an orientation leader to help ease the transition into college for incoming students.

“Coming into freshman year, I felt like I didn’t have many connections on campus since my orientation was via Zoom and I had not met anybody outside of the softball team,” she said. “I am hoping that being a part of a group of friendly orientation leaders will help the freshmen feel more comfortable coming into campus in the fall.”

Swearngin said she decided to attend LaGrange College because it felt like home.

“I wanted to be at a college that didn’t just see me as a number and where I knew I would be valued,” she said.

Cunningham said he wants to show freshmen the fun side of the college.

“It is easy to get bogged down in the serious side of college life,” he said. “I want to make sure they have a really fun time first and foremost, so that way every moment moving forward is backed by that first impression of a good time.”

He said attending LaGrange College was an easy choice for him.

“My father attended LC when I was growing up,” Cunningham said. “Initially I was trying to go somewhere else, but when I toured the college, I was hooked.”

Wallaert said the orientation sessions are not just for incoming students, but also for their families.

“It is important for parents/guardians/family members to understand that they are part of the LC family, and their students will be supported during their time on campus,” she said.  

 

Campus Notes 

Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends, the college received a total of $30,000 on Wednesday’s LC Giving Day. Michael T. Fay ’86 and the Fay Family Foundation gave a matching gift of $15,000. 

For the fall semester, transfer students must attend orientation on July 21 or July 27. Non-transfer students are required to attend orientation on July 11-12. For more information, contact housing@kongtiao11.com.

The college will be closed on Monday, July 4, for Independence Day. It will reopen on Tuesday, July 5.

Professor of Political Science John A. Tures wrote an article this week in The Conversation, titled "Red Flag Laws Saved 7,300 Americans from gun deaths in 2020 alone -- and could have saved 11,400 more.” The piece was also published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and more than 30 other newspapers.

 

Video of the Week 

Take a moment and discover dozens of student profiles, commencement videos dating back over 20 years, music concerts and 3D Journey lectures that will transport you from the Alps to Zanzibar.

 

July Faculty and Staff Birthdays 

1-John Cook, Religion

2-Vivian Barnes, Education

2-Carol Yin, Mathematics

6-Deborah Hall, Business Services

7-Janet Craft, Athletic Training

9-Lucinda Muncy, Human Resources

10-Kim Barber Knoll, Theatre Arts

10-Brian Hunter, Business Administration

14-Kelly Ansley, Library

19-Amber Baldridge, Registrar’s Office

24-Sharon Livingston, Education

27-Jon Ernstberger, Mathematics

28-Jackie Belcher, Financial Aid Office

28-Beth McClanahan, Mathematics

 

Sports 

LaGrange College had 78 student-athletes represented on the USA South Athletic Conference’s 2021-22 Academic All-Conference Team. A student-athlete must have earned a 3.30 GPA in each of the two semesters of a given year to be eligible. Any student-athlete participating at any Conference institution is eligible thus the participant does not have to compete in a Conference-sponsored sport. Additionally, any student-athlete earning a 3.90 GPA or above earned the All-Academic honor "With Distinction.” View the 2021-22 USA South Academic All-Conference Team.

 

In the Headlines 

LaGrange College faculty members receive excellence awards - LaGrange Daily News, June 20
LaGrange College women’s basketball team hosts camp for LaGrange Academy Warriors - LaGrange Daily News, June 15
The best season in Panthers history ends with a heartwarming homecoming - LaGrange Daily News, June 9
Our View: What a season, Panthers - LaGrange Daily News, June 8
LaGrange College baseball welcomed home following first ever World Series - WRBL, June 8
LaGrange College loses to Eastern Connecticut State, sees season end in the NCAA Division III World Series semifinals - LaGrange Daily News, June 6
LaGrange College beats Trinity (Tx.), advances to the NCAA Division III World Series semifinals - LaGrange Daily News, June 5
LaGrange College dominates Trinity (Tx.) in the first game of the NCAA Division III College World Series - LaGrange Daily News, June 4
Winning after loss: LaGrange perseveres death of teammates to make NCAA Division III Baseball World Series debut - The Gazette, June 4
LaGrange College heads out for first College World Series - WRBL, June 2
LaGrange College baseball team gets a sendoff to the World Series - LaGrange Daily News, June 1
Joe Ruth, McKinley Erves named to D3baseball.com 2022 All-America team - LaGrange Daily News, June 1
Six Panthers selected to 2022 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III Region 6 All-Region teams - LaGrange Daily News, May 31
LaGrange College punches ticket to the NCAA Division III World Series - LaGrange Daily News, May 30
LaGrange College advances to Division III College World Series - WRBL, May 29
aGrange College wins Super Regional debut in extras - WRBL, May 28
LaGrange College wins game one of Super Regional, is now one win away from DIII World Series - LaGrange Daily News, May 27

Category: Philanthropy, College

Keywords: orientation, student life, philanthropy

Last updated: 06/24/2022